10 of the Most Popular Types of Surgery Assistant Jobs in 2026

See what kind of roles similar to Surgery Assistant jobs are hiring now

Top Types Of Surgery Assistant Jobs

• Certified Surgical Assistant

  Salary range: $38,500 - $62,500

  Certified Surgical Assistant is a typical job search query Most salaries for Certified Surgical Assistant jobs pay between $38,500 (25th percentile) and $62,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Certified Surgical Assistant job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Plastic Surgeon Assistant

  Salary range: $37,500 - $350,000

  A plastic surgeon assistant works directly with a doctor of plastic surgery to provide patient care. In this role, you assist the surgeon during a variety of reconstructive and cosmetic procedures. You also help examine, treat, and diagnose patients who seek a plastic surgery procedure or enhancement. Because you are not a doctor, you must work under the supervision of a licensed plastic surgeon when providing care to patients. Common duties include ensuring a sterile area in the operating room, sterilizing medical equipment, handing the surgeon medical instruments, disinfecting and washing surgical sites, operating surgical lights, and preparing bandages and dressings for patients.

• Overseas Surgical Assistant

  Salary range: $38,500 - $62,500

  Overseas Surgical Assistant is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for Overseas Surgical Assistant jobs pay between $38,500 (25th percentile) and $62,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Overseas Surgical Assistant job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Medical Assistant

  Salary range: $35,500 - $45,500

  Whether medical assistants work in a large hospital or a small doctor's office, their job duties remain the same. As a medical assistant, you may greet patients when they first arrive, ensure patient forms are filled out correctly, answer phone calls, and schedule appointments. Some also handle billing and insurance claims. In the exam rooms, medical assistants may take vital signs, administer medication or vaccinations, describe procedures, change wound dressings, document results from patient sample testing, submit prescriptions, and prepare the beds for the next patient. In a hospital, medical assistants tend to the needs of the staff and patients in their particular unit.

• Surgical Physician Assistant

  Salary range: $117,000 - $173,500

  As a surgical physician assistant (PA), your responsibilities are to support surgeons and provide care to patients before, during, and after surgical operations. Your job duties include performing physical exams, analyzing diagnostic tests, educating patients about treatment options, and assisting in surgeries. You need excellent communication skills and compassion for interacting with anxious or worried patients. Attention to detail and problem-solving skills are vital skills for surgical PAs.

• Dental Assistant

  Salary range: $36,000 - $47,000

  Dental assistants provide support to dentists during dental exams and procedures. They are a vital part of any dental practice, though their specific duties vary by state and by the offices where they work. They handle basic office and equipment cleaning and administrative tasks to enable the dentist to focus on examinations and procedures. A dental assistant’s responsibilities may include preparing and sterilizing equipment, processing x-rays, and administrative tasks, such as filing paperwork and scheduling appointments.

• Surgical Coordinator

  Salary range: $41,000 - $56,500

  A surgical coordinator, or surgery scheduler, maintains the schedule for a surgeon or department of surgeons in a medical facility. As a surgical coordinator, arranging the surgery schedule for your medical facility is one of your top responsibilities, but another part of your job is making sure that patients have gone through all of the pre-surgery steps before scheduling a procedure, such as medical evaluations and insurance documentation. Your job duties include tracking and documenting client medical information, scheduling surgical procedures, confirming insurance, and organizing the schedule for each surgeon. You must be well organized and have strong communication skills to succeed in a surgical coordinator career.

• Surgical Tech

  Salary range: $73,000 - $120,000

  Surgical technologists are the first people to enter the operating room before a surgery. They prepare and sterilize the location and layout all needed equipment, taking a careful count of everything being used. Once everything is sterile and prepared, the surgical tech acts as an aid for the surgeon and surgical assistant. While continuing to maintain the sterility of the room, they may also be asked to help prep and give medications, assist with retraction of tissues from the patient, and pass instruments to the surgeon as needed. Postoperatively, surgical techs count every tool and device used once again, to ensure nothing was left inside the patient. They may also help with sutures and to disinfect the incision site. Finally, they help with the proper disposal of all gauzes, drapes, and syringes.

• General Surgery Medical Assistant

  Salary range: $35,500 - $45,500

  General Surgery Medical Assistant is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for General Surgery Medical Assistant jobs pay between $35,500 (25th percentile) and $45,500 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for General Surgery Medical Assistant job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Perioperative Assistant

  Salary range: $47,000 - $165,000

  Perioperative Assistant is a common job search query. Most salaries for Perioperative Assistant jobs pay between $47,000 (25th percentile) and $165,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Perioperative Assistant job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.